Image projectors are used to project images onto a projection surface, such as a screen. In some applications, video projectors are used to enhance, compliment, or otherwise augment objects on the surface to create a dynamic and enjoyable user experience, such as an amusement park attraction. For example, characters or objects may be projected on a surface that virtually “interact” with real objects on the surface.
Conventional video projectors have a number of limitations. In particular, conventional video projectors have limited color gamut and brightness. Due to these limitations, presentations using only conventional video projectors can appear dull and flat. Further, in situations where ambient lighting is present, the resulting image can appear washed out and unrealistic. On the contrary, laser projectors, such as laser scanning projectors, have increased brightness and color gamut as compared to conventional video projectors. In particular, laser projectors can project pure saturated, i.e. monochromatic red, green, and blue color tones, allowing a significantly wider color gamut than conventional video projectors.
In contrast to video projectors, laser projectors use galvanoscopic mirrors to steer the light. These mirrors are moved at such a high speed that, due to the limitations of human visual perception, the projected laser spots are perceived as static graphics by human observers. However, the speed of this mechanical mirror movement has physical limitations that can lead to issues such as blurring, flickering, and inertia. Therefore, scanning lasers are typically limited in the number of vertices that are properly displayed since visual flickering can occur quickly if the path is traced too slowly. On the other hand, the speed has to be reduced to ensure a precise spatial rendering of the content. Additionally, typical laser projectors will select a random path for rendering content. These issues contribute to flickering and other artifacts that affect the appearance of the projected content by laser projectors.